Environmental Scanning Model in Health System and Implementation Steps: A Scoping Review.

Background: Various studies have highlighted the usefulness of environmental scanning in assessing community needs and developing programs and policies. We aimed to find the most practical model of using such scanning in the healthcare literature.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review based on the PRISMA guideline to ensure a comprehensive and systematic approach in 2023. To develop a comprehensive search strategy, we worked with experienced librarians and the research team. We then completed a search of five electronic databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Embase databases. Two independent reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and full-text articles to select studies that met our inclusion criteria. The data was then analyzed and presented in a tabular format to facilitate easy interpretation and understanding.

Results: We retrieved 7243 articles from various databases and sources. After removing 2755 articles due to duplication, we excluded 4380 more articles during the title and abstract screening phase. In the full-text review process, we ruled out an additional 103 articles. Finally, only 5 articles that were directly relevant to the study were included. The model that Bednar and colleagues have in their article is the latest model. Most studies propose six main steps to conduct an environmental survey in the healthcare system.

Conclusion: Since the most important task of managers and policy makers of the health system is to make decisions, they can use our proposed model to collect, analyze and interpret data, identify important patterns and trends so that they can make evidence-based decisions.